Judgment Day
by Jewelle
Summary: BTVSDA crossover; Sequel to "Beginning of War"; strange tattoos are appearing on Max's skin; Dawn has a vision; a Slayer in Seattle; another Apocalypse. MA! AU
1. Tainted Blood

Disclaimer: I don't own anything save for the Original Characters.

N: You guys are probably wondering why I'm not posting my fic at BTVS crossovers. The reason is, I don't get as much reviews as I do here. The people here are so much more generous! ;-)

**This is AU. **But the timeline is set on 2022. AU alright!! So don't ask how Buffy got all the way there.

**A quick recall on what happened in the end of "The Beginning of War":** Buffy and her gang had their battle with the First which they emerged victorious save for the losses of Spike and Anya. Max, Alec, and their gang had their war with the Seattle Gov. They managed to escape TC just before it burst into flames.

A/N: A few of the stuff that happened in the DA episodes will be happening now in my fic albeit a different version of it. Hope you guys will enjoy this fic as much as you did the last one! Don't forget to Review!!! ;-)

Oh, and for a while, there won't be any mentioning of the characters of the other characters. For example: Buffy won't be thinking of Max. And Max won't be thinking of Buffy, kapeesh? Not that they have anything against each other. It would just go well with the fic if they just remember each other when they finally meet each other again. Understood? Good. Now read on!!!

"Judgment Day"

Chapter One: _Tainted Blood_

She was running as fast as her legs could carry her, her feet pounding loudly on the grassy ground, and her heart beating wildly in her chest. She raced past identically shaped stones that stood from the ground. This was unfamiliar to her as she grew up in a place that did not play host to any of these strange monuments. In fact, she barely recognized everything around her. Her surroundings seemed to be nothing than a blur of black, white, and gray.

_Her legs were starting to tire, but she couldn't stop. _

Because someone was chasing her.

_  
Adrenalin coursed through her as she cut through the darkness that wrapped itself around her in a cloak of black. Behind her, she could hear the wind parting as a body would slice through it, noiselessly following her with abnormal speed._

_Fear enveloped her as her pursuer drew closer._

_He was hunting her down. _

_And that was when she reached a dead end._

_With a startled cry,, she spun around and came face to face with – "Vampire," she whispered, her voice laced with fear. _

"_Slayer," the vampire growled, before vanishing in a wisp of smoke. _

_And standing on the spot where the vampire had stood was HER. _

"_Impure child," she hissed, her pitch black eyes glowing with anger. "You have disgraced the Family. How dare you join their side? For years we have educated you to become one of us, and yet you throw all of our precious teachings away through revolutionizing? Perhaps your blood isn't as pure as we thought it was...and now it evidently isn't. Your blood has been permanently stained...tainted. And impurity is something that we despise in our Family. As we all know the consequences of such as these are most severe... " _

...

A thousand miles from where the nightmare took place, Lucas awoke with a start, the callous voice of the _Maistre _echoing repeatedly in her head. _You have disgraced the Family..._

She shivered, more from fear than from the icy coldness that never seemed to leave her room. These dreams that she had been having was becoming more and more consistent, and at night, when she slept, they would come. And the unreal images that would flood her mind would shatter her heart into pieces. The pains of condemnation could do that to you.

And it was slowly breaking her.

She was a Chosen One. An allegedly mythological girl whom her family would indisputably detest. If they knew she existed. To her family, the Slayer was nothing more than a mere myth.

She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the daunting image of the _Maistre _out of her mind. If her family would ever find out...

Her nightmare might just become a reality.

...

It had been one year, five months, and twenty-three days since the genocide in Seattle took place. But the memories of that fateful day was not lost on the transgenics that had survived it. Not many of them were able to escape Terminal City unscathed, and although they had plenty of time to recuperate, the wounds that had scarred their souls were permanent.

The one hundred and fifty-seven transgenics that were able to flee the flames of TC had retreated into hiding in a rather large community of warehouses in Vancouver, Canada where they remained until now, carefully watching their backs and keeping tabs on the news.

So far, they were safe, no one had discovered their covert hiding place yet. The Seattle government may not have given up on them just yet, but the deaths of their best defense force made them stop and think for a while. The fight that they had with the transgenics had made them reach a staggering conclusion.

They were dealing with extremely deadly genetically-enhanced supersoldiers who had no intention of going down easily.

It was very early in the morning, and the sun had barely risen, but thanks to her Shark DNA, she was already wide awake. Max crept out of the room that she had been sharing with Alec and into the "Common Room", where most of the X5s hung out to relax and laze around.

They were living in Barracks 8 along with ten other X5s. They had renovated the whole place to make living there more comfortable. Although doing so was a bit difficult considering the lack of equipments...But they managed. They were X5s, after all. Of course, the other barracks containing the transhumans and X6s were a lot messier, but they were comfortable. All of them were comfortable. Max had picked the best hideaway: VMB. _Vancouver Military Base. _

It was an abandoned military base located in the outskirts of Vancouver, completely far-off from _human _civilization which only gave them the peace and relaxation that they really needed. Max had discovered this place when they had bee-lined all the way to St. Louis Pier (an abandoned pier) which was a few blocks from here—overlooking the ocean.

A smile of contentment graced her tired features as she walked out of the warehouse and was greeted by the coolness of the morning breeze. The past year had been rather hectic for them. They barely had enough rations to keep them alive, so she had to assign a few of their more experienced X5s and X6s to "borrow" and "take" some supplies and foods from the ordinaries which proved to be somewhat difficult. But again, they managed.

They always did.

A/N: Okay, so that was a little peek into the world of Max. Hope that explained things, and since I've never been to Canada before, I just made up the addresses, you know the 'community of warehouses in St. Louis Pier.'? I just made that up...anyway...REVIEW!!!

Translations: _Maistre _means (female) master in Old French.

**The next chapter will give you guys a little peek into the world of Buffy. Plus, more info on Lucas and who she _really is. _:-)**


	2. Mind Games

Chapter Two: _Mind Games_

"You're all doing well girls," Buffy remarked with a smile. "Keep it up and you may just have an additional one hour break on tomorrow's training session."

The new Slayers all grinned weakly at her before returning to the large building that was now known as the _Slayer Academy_ for some serious breakfast. Five hours of training could give a person a pretty large appetite. Especially if you're a Slayer.

The cool wind swept past her, and she automatically zipped up the jacket she was wearing. It would be a while until she'd be able to get used to the cold of Cleveland. She had, after all, spent most of her life under the glare of the California sun. A sad smile appeared on her face as she reminisced.So much had happened in one year.

After the big battle with the First, the Scooby Gang and their troop of Slayers sought refuge in Los Angeles. Specifically, at the Hyperion Hotel. This brought her back almost instantly...

Flashback 

_It was late in the afternoon and the Hyperion Hotel was a mass of hysteria. So many of the Slayers had been wounded, including herself. _

"_You're hurt," Angel observed after he and Buffy had made sure that the others were given the medical attention they needed. The lobby of the hotel was filled with the injured and those who were unharmed were doing their best to help each other. They already lost a lot during the fight, they couldn't afford to lose more now. _

"_I know," Buffy said quietly, placing a hand on her abdomen where the vampire's sword had plunged through. Willow had bandaged it on the bus, but the blood was slowly starting to seep out. "What's new?"_

_Angel gazed at her concerned. She was acting strangely...and then it clicked. "Spike didn't make it?" _

_And that was when the tears started to fall. _

"_He saved us all...he died a hero..." _

_End Flashback_

Buffy blinked away her tears. _There's absolutely nothing I can do...he's really gone. _She continued down the stone pathway that she knew led to a secluded spot behind the Academy. She reached the place she had dubbed her 'thinking spot' in record time. Behind the school was a small forest, and right on its very borders were large stones that were surprisingly very comfortable to sit on. The fresh silence that emanated from the forest encouraged her to reflect, or brood as what Willow loved to call it.

The Gang and the new Slayers had stayed for quite awhile in LA, until they all reached a decision of transferring to the next active Hellmouth which was in Cleveland. But they were faced with a pretty big problem, two problems to be specific. Where were they going to live? And who were going to train the new Slayers? The first main choice would've been Buffy, _and _the Gang, but even they weren't capable of training a hundred and plus girls.

Giles had solved these quickly with a very cool solution: He started a new Watcher's Council.

The new Watcher's Council or the NWC provided enough funds to build a school for the Slayers to train in, and a Watcher for every three or four girls since there weren't enough Watchers yet, but for Buffy, this was more than enough, and she was hugely grateful to Giles for that.

"_Buffy._"

Buffy sprang from her seat into a fighting stance, her gaze moving wildly around. She thought she heard someone call out her name...such a familiar voice...

She turned to look at the forest, but saw no one there.

She shook her head, knowing that it was just her mind playing tricks on her...

...or her past coming back to haunt her.

"Hey, B!"

Buffy shook her head in an attempt to clear it and turned around to see her sister Slayer jogging up towards her, the 'Chosen Two' as she had dubbed herself. Buffy stood up, and approached the panting Slayer. It seemed that she had ran all the way from – from wherever she had come from.

"Faith," Buffy greeted her. "What's up?"

"Just finished my session down at the gym," Faith said, running a hand through her dark hair which had become tangled from her run. "Giles called though, said he couldn't contact you which isn't much of a surprise considering your all the way out here," she raised up her mobile phone which had no dial tone.

"What'd he say?"

"Meeting slash breakfast at the dining hall," Faith replied with a hungry grin.

Buffy nodded her agreement. "You go ahead. I just need a few more minutes, alright?"

Faith cast her an understanding glance. "Sure, no prob."

Buffy watched her retreating figure before turning around to face the forest again, her eyes traveling into the grove of trees where the light was dim – where she had heard that voice. She looked deeper, and found...

Nothing.

...

The Domane Manor was a labyrinth of endless corridors and hidden passageways. The number of these were so great, that Lucas always found herself getting lost in the maze that was her home. Her family seemed to have a fondness for building dark, daunting mansions that were filled with clandestine rooms and secret chambers. A fondness that their only daughter didn't seem to appreciate.

Lucas strode down the lamp-lit hallway, her footsteps echoing through the dimness as she searched for the French-styled double doors that led to _the _library. She smiled in satisfaction as she found it just beyond the corner. (She had spent over two hours looking for this entranceway.) But the smile quickly withered as she picked the lock, remembering what she was here for.

Making sure that the doors were locked behind her, she made her way into the rather spacious room overflowing with ancient dust-covered books and squashy armchairs. Although her parents weren't around, having to attend a meeting with the _Maistre _and the other members of the Phalanx, she couldn't risk them finding her here. Sure, she was allowed in the library. The smaller one downstairs. But _this _library, she wasn't allowed in. Why? Because it contained some very classified information on the Dark Arts. An ancient magic that proved to be very dangerous.

In fact, Lucas had heard, or rather, _eavesdropped _on a few things about this certain 'magic' from her parents. Something about the last _Maistre _trying to raise an ancient evil.

Of course, she highly doubted that was true.

Lucas approached the bookshelf behind an office desk where all the 'Mythical Tales' were kept. Her silver-gray eyes thoroughly going through every title. Finally, they stopped at one: '_The Legend of the Slayer'. _

She smiled bitterly before taking it down from it's spot on the shelf. Settling herself on one of the armchairs, she proceeded to read it, looking for the one thing that she had come here for.

How to give up her role of becoming a Chosen One.

She knew that when a Slayer was Chosen, she had no ways of turning back, having been already given a destiny to fight all evil, but Lucas could only hope that there was a way of turning away from her Calling. A Calling that would cause her to shame her family, the Phalanx.

She blinked back tears as her nightmare resurfaced.

She may not approve of the darkness that her family performed, in fact, she was highly against it. The thought of killing innocent people for the sake of mere sacrifices and even for the pleasure of it sickened her. But nevertheless, they were still her family.

And besides, if they found out that she was a Slayer.

The consequences of such as these are most severe... 

They would kill her.

A/N: Confused? Feel free to ask any questions. I'll try to answer them on my next update. :-) Review!

**Sneak Peek **for Chapter 3!

"_Washington?" Dawn echoed. "That's awfully far from Cleveland."_


	3. Broken

A/N: A bit of Max and Alec-y goodness in this chap!!! (wink!wink!) ;-)

"_Remember that the road to healing winds through pain, anguish, sickness, and many tears."_

Chapter Three: _Broken_

He found her standing at the edge of the dock, her dark hair cascading onto her back in waves as it billowed in the wind, imitating the motion of the ocean's water. He smiled. When he woke up this morning, he had found the lack of warmth that was usually found beside him unsurprising. He knew Max well enough to know that the best time she loved to think was either really late at night or really early in the morning. He didn't really know the reason, but he suspected that it was because of the sweet silent atmosphere that was not usually available in other times of the day.

"Morning Alec," she greeted him without turning around.

He didn't reply, he simply wrapped his arms around her and planted a chaste kiss on her head. Instinctively, she leaned back against him, and a smile of contentment flitted across his face.

A few years ago, if someone told him that he and Max were going to end up together, he would've laughed outright. Max had barely known him as anything more than a 'screw-up' who loved to endlessly taunt her until she'd kick his ass. Of course, the sexual tension between had been undeniable. And it seemed that through their never-ending arguments and intense banters, the tension was released.

A mischievous grin graced his face. _Of course, now it's released in an entirely different and more pleasurable way. _With an impish twinkle in his hazel-green eyes, he spun Max around and captured her mouth in a fervent kiss. He felt Max respond just as fervently, opening her mouth and giving him total access. Alec groaned, his hand finding its way underneath her tight black tank top, and hers finding its way onto his chest. The feel of her smooth silky skin beneath his palm aroused him, until he could no longer take it.

He needed to feel his skin on her skin.

Forgetting that they were right outside in a completely public area, he started to unbutton Max's jeans. As he did so, Max chuckled lightly. "Woah, slow down tiger. Not here."

And with those words, he picked her up and carried her all the way back to bed.

* * *

The smell of bacon beckoned for Buffy to enter the dining room without further ado, and when she did, she was highly disappointed. Around the large table sat Willow, Giles, Faith, Dawn, Xander, Andrew, and Robin. In front of them lay the delicious trays of food. However, their plates were empty and none of them were making a move to start eating. Instead, all of them were bent over maps and holding ballpoint pens. In short, they were putting research first before food.

Buffy's stomach disagreed strongly.

And judging by the scowl on Faith's face, she too opposed the said research.

"Um, guys. Shouldn't we like, eat first before doing all that work?" Buffy asked loudly, causing everyone to look up from their seats.

"Oh, hello Buffy." Giles acknowledged. This was followed by a chorus of 'heys' from the group.

"That's what _I _said," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "Eat first, work later."

"Actually," Willow piped up. "We we're just using up our time on waiting for you on working for a while, because it would be rather impolite to not wait for you and eat all the food even if we're all like, really hungry. But that's okay coz' you're my bestest friend, but I don't know about these guys, but I'm sure it would be okay with them if they wait for a while for you until you get here so we could eat together--"

"Willow," Buffy said kindly. "You're babbling again."

Willow flushed. "Yes, thank you."

"Well, now that B's here, _can we eat now_?" Faith asked, pushing an Almanac away from her.

"Yes, of course." Giles said motioning for Buffy to take a seat. She did so and piled her plate up with enough bacon and eggs to last a lifetime. An exaggeration of course. It simply meant that she was really, really hungry.

After she abundantly filled, Buffy spoke up. "So what'd you want to tell us Giles?"

Her Watcher wiped his eyeglasses clean before replying. "I asked Willow to do a Locator Spell earlier this morning to see if there were any more Slayers poking out of their shells..."

"Go on."

"Well, the Locator spell would've made the locations of any existing Slayers glow white." Giles cleared his throat nervously, and Buffy's eyes narrowed. Something was not right here. "Well, there was one spot where it glowed blue."

"_Blue?_" Faith's eyebrows shot up. "What does that mean?"

"That's the problem," Willow replied. "We don't really know. I've never experienced anything of this sort before."

"Where was the glowy-thingy set on?"

"Seattle, Washington."

"Washington?" Dawn echoed. "That's awfully far from Cleveland."

Buffy shrugged. "Doesn't matter. When something weird happens, it's our duty to go check it out and make un-weird."

"Cool!" Dawn squealed. "We get to go to Seattle!"

Giles shook his head. "Not all of us should go. Someone should stay behind and manage the Academy while we're gone."

"Well, why don't you just get one of your tweed-dudes to take charge?" Faith asked.

Giles glared at her. "First off, not _all _of us wear tweed, Faith. And second, I don't trust any of them to take control of things here while we're gone."

"I'll stay behind," a quiet voice spoke up from the end of the table. All eyes turned to him.

It was Xander. He hadn't spoken ever since they had breakfast that morning. In fact, he hadn't been his usual funny self since the battle with the First Evil...since Anya's death.

It seemed that the loss of his ex-fiancée had hurt him a lot harder than Spike's death did Buffy. Both Willow and Buffy had once tried talking to him about it, but he simply stayed silent and refused to open up. This worried the two friends and they did everything they could to cheer him up. That was during their first few months in Cleveland.

After a while, he started to get more comfortable in their new life, but – but he just wasn't the Xander they used to know anymore.

Buffy locked eyes with a pair of emeralds which told her everything. _This would be the perfect chance for Xander to mend his broken heart for a while without his friends nagging him all the time. _Buffy nodded and Willow smiled.

"Sure, Xand." Buffy said with a grateful smile.

"I'll stay too," Robin volunteered. "I don't think I can make it all across to Seattle without snapping my legs in half."

Robin had broken his leg during a training session with the Slayers just yesterday. It wasn't anything major, but if he wanted it to heal fast, it'd be best if he stayed behind too.

"Ditto," Andrew chimed in. "I'll keep an eye on Robin Hood, I mean, Robin Wood."

Buffy then got an idea. "Dawn, I think you should say too." She said to her younger sister whose face fell the minute she heard these words.

"Why? Coz' its too dangerous?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice, her eyes burning.

Buffy fixed her a look. "_Yes."_

"But you said that I'm capable of handling myself already!" Dawn argued. "Before, you would've let me go with you to fight – how come a measly trip to Seattle to find a _single _Slayer would get you to leave me behind?"

"_Because, before you had someone to look after you._" Buffy clenched out through gritted teeth, feeling frustrated tears well up in her eyes. Dawn's eyes widened. "It's not always that I get to have a chance to see if you're alright. I'm always on the front lines, Dawn, and its not always that I get to look behind me and check on your safety."

Everyone was shifting uncomfortably now, seeing the depressed look on Buffy's face.

"But don't you trust me enough to _look after myself?_" Dawn asked, feeling just as distressed as her sister. Trust was always the issue between them. It always came down to that.

Buffy looked away.

"I knew it," Dawn shook her sadly before storming out of the dining room.

"Wow," Faith whistled. "That was _intense._"

"Just – just shut up Faith," Buffy sighed and stormed out of the room after her sister, albeit going towards a different direction. The opposite one in fact. She needed some time to think.

It seemed that she was wrong about Anya's death affecting Xander more than Spike's death did her.

Spike's death had made her a bit more overprotective over the people she loved. Spike's death had snapped her back to reality – to the fact that any of those she loved could die. It had made her so overprotective, that it was almost to the point of paranoia. Of doubting her friends' capability of protecting themselves.

Tears fell from her eyes.

She had never felt so...broken.

And what made her feel even more shattered was the fact that she knew that only Spike would be able to mend her.


	4. Indecipherable Stillness

A/N: Thanks for the reviews...here's the new chap...

Chapter Four: _Indecipherable Stillness_

The sound of the bathroom door slamming shut took his attention away from the TV screen as his gaze flew over to the extremely attractive woman that was clad in nothing but a towel. A wicked smile materialized on his face as he let his eyes wander.

Max shot him a glare. "Twice was enough tiger," she snapped, her cinnamon-brown eyes sparkling with mirth. "And it's already eleven thirty. If you're planning on pulling that heist tonight with Travis, you should get going now. You're meeting with him is at twelve."

"I still have thirty minutes," Alec said in a lazy tone, tilting his head to one side and grinning knowingly at her. "Come on Maxie, you know you can't resist."

Max rolled her eyes, and moved over to the mirror where she started brushing her tousled hair. Alec gazed at her, admiring the way her skin glistened from her previous shower, and the way the droplets of water trickled down the smooth surface of her back, exaggerating the darkness of her tattoos.

Alec stared. "Max, I didn't know you had tattoos."

Max looked at his reflection on the mirror, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I don't have any save for the damned barcode behind my neck which is anything _but _a tattoo. It's genetically imprinted on us, remember?"

"Not the barcode," Alec said, moving over to her and scrutinizing the tiny black prints that ran along her shoulders in three straight lines, pyramid style. Tentatively, he traced them with his fingers. "These."

Max twisted her back around facing the mirror. Her face clouded with confusion. "What? Where the hell did these come from?"

"They seem to be letters," Alec observed. "Although none that I can understand."

"Arabic maybe?" Max asked still looking bewildered from this new discovery.

Alec shook his head. "Nope. I studied Arabic back at Manticore, along with Japanese, Italian, French, Chinese..."

"Alright already, you can stop bragging now."

Alec grinned. "It's not my fault that I'm so gifted."

"Or cursed," Max retorted, a hint of sadness tingeing her eyes. They may be gifted with so many talents, but their life was as cursed as the next criminal. Some call it the balance of life. Alec called it injustice.

"We should have these checked out by Dix," Alec said as he started getting dressed. "He's staying in Barracks 3, I think."

"Don't forget you're meeting with Travis," Max reminded, pulling on a pair of jeans.

"I'll head over to him now," Alec said, getting ready to leave. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Yeah, sure." Max said absently, as she took another look at her back, trying to make sense of the inky imprints. She noted that they were clearly made of the same stuff with her barcode. Although, why they were there. She had no idea.

* * *

"I have a feeling that it's Egyptian," Dix said, typing furiously on his computer, as he stole quick glances on Max's bare shoulders. The tattoos stood out clearly.

They had been studying the 'Runes', as Dix had dubbed them, for almost an hour, and up to now they were unable to decipher even one of the letters. And it was starting to frustrate her.

"Not Egyptian," a deep voice spoke up behind her. It was X5-788 a.k.a Travis, a lightly-muscled transgenic that was built more for speed and guile akin to Alec. His spiky platinum blonde hair was streaked with blue highlights that went well with his baby blues. "I studied Egyptian back at Manticore and that is definitely not it." Travis stared at the Runes. "Are you sure that those are letters? Dude, they look like squiggles to me."

"I assure you that they are not squiggles," Dix said, pausing. "Alright, they _are _squiggles. But squiggles that form_ letters._"

"Whatever," Travis shrugged and clapped Alec on the back. "I'll see you at seven?"

Alec nodded and dismissed his former unit mate. "So, nothing at all?"

"Nothing," Dix said with a frown. "Hey Max, mind if I take a picture of it? I could try scanning it into the computer and try finding a match for it on the Net."

"Good idea," Alec said moving over to a large box near the computer desk where most of the equipments were kept. He rummaged around in it until he was able to find what he was looking for. A digital camera.

He took several shots of the pictures and handed the camera over to Dix who attached it to the computer. "This may take a while, you guys."

"That's okay," Max said zipping up her jacket and hiding the tattoos. "I'll go take a break for a while. Call me if you find anything."

"No problem," Dix said.

"What do you say about lunch?" Alec asked as they walked out of Barracks 3.

"Would it be better than our breakfast in bed?" Max asked with a sly grin.

Alec winked. "Much better."

* * *

Approximately three hours and thirty minutes had passed, and she was still stumped. She had gone through almost every single book about Slayers that their family owned, and so far, she had found nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Lucas sighed and returned the last book (_Slayers and Demons_) back into the antique bookshelf. "I give up," she said aloud, throwing her hands up in the air in aggravation. "I really give up. Let my family reject me, what the hell."

_Words cannot express what I truly feel. _She thought mockingly. Of course, she didn't want her family to reject her. Of course, she was not going to give up. However the helplessness that overcame her told her that what she had said a few seconds ago will become truth.

It was ironic how a girl like her could feel so vulnerable. She was part of the Phalanx. An ethnic group that had been alive for over a hundred years. A group that was deeply rooted in magic. Black magic, to be precise. In her veins flowed the blood of her ancestors. In her veins flowed a magic so powerful that it could kill dozens of innocent people.

And yet she was Chosen.

And the question was: _Why? _How could she, a girl entrenched in ancestral evil be Chosen to fight on the good side? To fight in the light? Again with the irony. She was named Lucas. A name derived from the Latin word _lux _which meant 'light'. She once asked her parents about this, and they had told her that it was because of her eyes that she was named such. Her silvery irises that glowed like the moon. The moon which was the Phalanx's symbol.

But somehow, she suspected that there was something that they were hiding from her. Why they chose such a name for her. Why they didn't allow her to attend the formal Phalanx meetings while other children were allowed to do so.

Maybe they knew that she was a Slayer.

Hope flickered within her.

_Maybe they're keeping me away from the other members of the Phalanx to keep them from finding out. _She thought fretfully.

Or maybe they're planning on the ways that they're going to kill you.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest.

Her head spun.

There were so many questions, and yet she received so little answers.

"Why?" she screamed out loud. 

She was answered by nothing but silence.

A/N: Buffy and Max will be meeting soon...a few chapters from now...just be patient. :-) REVIEW.


	5. Temperature Drop

Chapter Five: _Temperature Drop_

"_Inflamora," _she murmured under her breath, waving a hand at the marble fireplace. The wooden logs burst into dancing flames, and warmth radiated from the fire. Lucas leaned back against her armchair, gazing bitterly at her personal inferno.

_Some people would've killed to possess this kind of magic. _She thought sardonically. It was simple magic, but nevertheless, to be able to perform such as these was a talent. Well, in her case, it was inherited. She was not allowed to use black magic for mere entertainment. Her parents had told her that it was minimally for self-defense, unlike them and the Phalanx's top brass.

It had only been once that she had been able to perform the Dark Arts. That was a year ago. When a Phalanx turns fifteen, he or she must undergo a certain test to see if he or she is worthy enough for her Family.

Lucas shuddered as a wave of flashbacks hit her…

Flashback 

_"Where are you taking me?" she asked, raising her frightened gaze up to her male companion who had not spoken a word since he had ushered her out of her house and escorted her all the way here – an average-sized circular room that was filled to the brim with Phalanxes._

_Her companion said nothing. Instead he lead her towards the center of the room where a smaller room with transparent glass walls was located. She shivered as she gazed around her audience. Everyone was looking at her with expectancy._

'_This has to be my worst birthday ever' she thought grimly as her companion opened a sliding door and pushed her gently in. Lucas stared at him in alarm as he locked it – from the outside._

_She was trapped inside a glass cage with no idea on what was occurring at all. _

_Instantaneously, a deep feminine voice spoke in a voice as clear as crystal. "Lucas Domane," she said with a red-lipped smile as she sauntered around the glass box, a predatory glint in her coal eyes. "Happy Birthday." _

"_Tha-thank you," Lucas stammered, feeling more than a bit perplexed, and more than a bit scared. _

"_Perhaps you have heard of The Test?" _

_Lucas visibly paled. Of course she had heard about it. Her parents had been training her for it ever since she was able to walk and talk. And ever since she had heard about it, she had been dreading it. "Ye-yes."_

"_Excellent!" The Maistre clasped her hands together, her cool smile broadening. "Shall we begin?"  
_

_A cheer rose from the crowd._

_The glass door slammed shut, and she spun around to see a figure clad from head to toe in gray monk-like clothing. He was hooded, and his face was hidden in the shadows. Lucas took an involuntary step back, as she saw his hands. _

Around his wrists, running in a circle, were bloody scars.

'_A prisoner' Lucas thought, inhaling deeply. She knew that the Maistre had a dungeon here somewhere…where she imprisoned those who betrayed her. She had once asked her parents what would become of the 'traitors'._

_Her mother had smiled cynically and had said. "They are fed to the wolves."_

_She hadn't understood back then. She had only been a child._

_Now she did._

_Now, she was the wolf._

"_Kill him," the Maistre's voice reverberated through the coliseum. "Show us that you are indeed a true Phalanx."_

_The prisoner removed his hood, his first movement since entering the cage. Lucas gasped. He was young, a few years older than her. Eighteen, or nineteen maybe. _

_And on his forehead was an inky black mark shaped in the form of – a crescent moon. "The symbol of the Phalanx," she gasped softly. _

_He had once been a Phalanx._

_But what had he done to be imprisoned? _

_Lucas blinked back tears of fear and confusion, knowing that if she didn't obey the Maistre, she too would soon end up in the dungeons. She must prove to them that she was indeed a true Phalanx. Something that she was still – uncertain of._

_The man stepped forward, his eyes expressing pain, regret, and something she could not identify. She locked gazes with him, and for a moment she was lost in the swirl of hazel that was his eyes. It was as if he was trying to tell her something…silently pleading with her…_

"_Lucas," the Maistre's impatient voice interrupted her thoughts. "What are you afraid of?"_

'_That I may be killing the man who might be able to answer so many questions,' she answered in her head. _

_Lucas had then closed down her emotions, knowing that she would not be able to pull through with the task if she did not. And she had raised her hands to the man, unaware that she was levitating a few feet from the ground, her magic swirling around her in a mist of sparks, and whispered in a voice so soft that only the man could hear. _

"_Fortis Inflamora."_

_End Flashback _

Fire had always been her specialty…her gift…her element…her weapon…

She had used it to burn the one person that had been trying to tell her that she had the potential to become Chosen. The one person that betrayed the Phalanx to become a Watcher.

She could still see the beseeching look on his face before he disappeared in a wisp of smoke.

She could still hear his voice echoing in her head amidst the cheers that emanated from outside the glass cage.

"_Lucas…I'm your Watcher."_

…

Before, you had someone to look after you… 

Dawn fought back tears as she shut the bathroom door behind her, cautiously locking it. _I can't believe that she didn't trust me all along. _She thought miserably, slumping down to the tiled floor in a helpless heap, the angry, frustrated tears finally falling. _I can't believe that the only reason that she did 'trust' me was because of Spike…_

_Spike…_

She wrapped her arms around herself as she was crushed by bone-wracking sobs, rocking herself slowly. She dropped her head on her knees as she shut her eyes from everything…welcoming the blackness that drowned her.

Spike where are you? I need you so much… 

Her whole body was trembling the minute her sobs had ceased, and it suddenly felt a whole lot colder inside the bathroom. But the temperature was the last on her thoughts…

Spike was gone from her mind – fleetingly replaced by her sister – Buffy. Before Sunnydale High had gone down…before the fight…she remembered what she had said to her… '_I love you Dawn, don't ever forget that.'_

But do you love me enough to trust me? 

She slowly stood up, her head whirling as she struggled to steady herself. She caught a glimpse of herself on the mirror as she leaned on the wall, trying to clear her head. Tear-stained cheeks, pale, clammy skin, tangled hair, and hazel-brown eyes that were filled with so much pain…

Is there anything left in this world for me? She asked in her head, waiting for the answers that she knew would never come. 

And with trembling fingers, she took out a small razor blade from her pocket.

…

"Buffy!" Willow's voice hollered from driveway where a cab was waiting for them. Giles and Faith were already seated inside, their faces peering impatiently outside the car's windows.

"One second," Buffy mouthed to them before turning back to her best friend.

"Take care of yourself, alright?" Buffy said, giving Xander a hug. He smiled at her, a smile that was tinged with sadness. This made Buffy look at him questioningly.

"Try to settle things with Dawn, Buffy." Xander said, almost pleadingly. "She's still young, and she's going through a very rough stage right now. With her sister being _the _Slayer, and with her being surrounded by girls much powerful than her…" Xander squeezed her hand. "Being trusted is one of the things that she needs…" His solitary eye searched hers, and she shamefully looked away.

She knew what she said and did to Dawn was wrong. But with the things she was going through right now….with Spike being gone…with danger lurking from every single corner…it was _hard to trust Dawn. _She was still young. And unlike the other Slayers, she wasn't gifted with super strength and speed.

After losing Spike…the one person she had loved so much…the one person that had broken her heart into two pieces because of – of simply _just _dying…

If Dawn died too…

Her heart would become totally non-existent.

_That _was why she didn't trust Dawn to take care of herself.

Paranoia of losing her loved ones had overruled her trusting them.

Xander's voice shook her out of her deep thinking. "I know you're hurting, Buffy." He said softly. "Just like Dawn is. You _both _need each other."

Buffy nodded. "I know."

"Hey B!" Faith yelled. This time, it was accompanied by the cab's deafening horn. "You wanna miss the plane?"

Buffy gave Xander one last hug before whispering in his ear. "Take care of her for me."

"I will."

…

The sound of the front doors slamming reverberated through the house, snapping Lucas out of her reverie. Her eyes widened as she realized that her parents must've arrived.

And she was still inside the restricted library.

"Shit," she swore, and turned a panicked gaze on the still-blazing fireplace. She waved her hand at it, muttering under her breath: "_Dissipato._"

And with nonstandard speed, she flitted around the room putting things back in their proper places. She glanced around the library, making sure that nothing was amiss before exiting it soundlessly, locking the door behind her.

And just as her father's footsteps climbed up the marble staircase, she sunk into the shadows, hiding behind a large sculptor of Athena, the Roman goddess of wisdom and excellence. But who the statue was, was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She stiffened as her parents' footsteps came to a stop in front of their bedroom doors, which was just a few feet away from the library.

It was then that she realized that they were having a conversation.

A conversation that she knew was strictly not allowed to her ears.

And so, she eavesdropped.

But when she heard what her parents were talking about. She wished she hadn't.

…

Max strolled into the once-discarded Control Center (they had fixed it up) to find a crowd gathered around the area were the bank of televisions were situated. Alec was among the throng of people, and the second he saw her, he called out to her. "Hey Maxie, I think you'd better take a look at this."

Curiosity overwhelming her, she swept over to them in a blur.

The TV was set on Channel 5, the local news channel. A middle-aged man and woman with dishwater blonde hair were seated behind the desk, staring straight at the camera and delivering their latest news about…

"…The transgenics have killed over a hundred men during the genocide that took place in Seattle, Washington, proving the fact that they are indeed extremely dangerous criminals…"

"We prefer genetically empowered," Alec murmured sarcastically under his breath.

"Officer Thomas Carson, the sergeant in charge of the genocide, have informed us that they had planted a time bomb at the heart of Terminal City, when they realized that they were running short of weapons and men…"

"Desperate cowards," Mole spat out, chewing his cigar angrily.

"Unfortunately, a few witnesses had claimed that they had seen more than a few transgenics fleeing from Terminal City which had burst into flames." The reported chuckled dryly. "Or should we say…they were escaping from the fires of hell?"

Max's eyes narrowed, as the woman laughed.

"Hell is certainly where they belong, Rick." She said to her partner. "Anyway, we have received recent news that the military is doing their best to trace the whereabouts of the 'freaks'. And from what we've heard, they're doing a pretty good job."

"Right you are, Molly." Rick said with a sickening grin. "It won't be long until their hideout is found. And it won't be long until these deadly creatures will be put to sleep."

Molly smiled at the camera. "That ends our report on the famed transgenics…now, on to other news…"

Max shut off the TV with a worried frown. "What if they find us?"

Alec smiled wryly. "It'll be Genocide II this time."

…

Lucas sunk deeper into the shadows as she hung onto her parents' every word.

"The sacred rites will be performed on the next full moon," her mother said in cynical voice. "She had already passed the Test last year…she'll be more than ready this time."

Her father spoke up, a hint of pride in his voice. "Lucas will make us all proud…she had already proven to us that she is capable of handling her magic. We shall see if she is indeed worthy enough to be brought into the Inner Circle on the Examination."

Lucas covered her mouth to stifle a gasp just as their bedroom doors closed. The Inner Circle? Eyes wide, she sunk to the carpeted floor. The Inner Circle was composed of children between the ages of sixteen and nineteen, and no one but the purest of the Phalanx could be brought into the Circle. To know who is worthy enough to be brought in, a series of rituals and tests must be performed on the selected child.

She closed her eyes in despair. Every single inch of her body and soul would be examined.

This time, there was no doubting that they were going to discover that she was a Slayer.

…

A/N: REVIEW!!!


	6. Distorted Reality

Chapter Six: _Shatterpoint_

It was raining hard in Seattle, Washington. A usual event to those who have resided in the city for a long period of time. A lone figure was standing on the porch of a dilapidated house, staring at the distance. Staring at a panorama that used to be very relieving to look at. Now it was composed of nothing but burnt ruins.

Logan Cale briefly wondered where his transgenic friends were now living. In the mountains perhaps? Or near the sea? For a year, he had pondered over these questions. For a year he had no contact with any of them, just once. With Max.

He had committed that conversation in his memory, knowing that it would be a very long time until he'd be able to hear her beautiful voice again…

'Logan?' 

"Max!" Logan breathed in liberation. Ever since he saw the pitch-black smoke radiating from the distance, and saw the news portraying the image of a blazing inferno that Terminal City, he had been beyond frightened. He almost thought that Max didn't make it. But here she was, talking to him on the phone.

'Logan, the military bombed the place, and there are only a few of us left. We're heading off to--' A male voice cut her off sharply, and Logan's eyes narrowed. 'Sorry Logan, but I can't really tell you where were going. This call could be tapped for all we knew. All I can say is that we're in Canada. It's up to you to figure out where in Canada we are in.' She paused, and when she spoke, there was sadness in her voice. 'Listen Logan, I don't know how long it will be until it'll be safe for us to go back there to Seattle. In the mean time, we'll be going into hiding…please Logan, tell OC that I love her so much…' the line crackled. She was losing signal.

The last thing Logan heard was: '…thanks for everything Logan…love you…'

And the line went dead.

Logan smiled bitterly. At any other given time, that single phrase would have made him the happiest man alive. Unfortunately, now, it didn't. Original Cindy had told him recently that Max and Alec were together, and that both were very much in love.

Logan's heart had shattered.

The first woman that Logan severely loved that he would've died for her, loved another man. Alec of all people. The screw-up, the one whose ass she kicked daily, the man who ruined the one chance of him and Max being together.

_You and Max weren't meant to be. _A voice taunted in the back of his head. Dejectedly, Logan agreed. Max was better off with someone who was her own kind. And the only thing that mattered to him right now, was Max's happiness. If she was happy being with Alec, then fine. So be it.

…

_We're here. _She thought as the rented car sped past the 'Welcome to Seattle' sign. The second it did, a wave of memories that had been forgotten for almost a year crashed into her mind, startling her. How could she have not remembered?

"Max," she suddenly said, breaking the silence that had been around for most of the ride. Two heads whipped around to look at her, while a pair of surprised eyes glanced at her from the rearview mirror. "It's been a year now, I wonder how she is."

"They had a genocide to deal with remember?" Willow asked quietly, her emerald green eyes widening. "I can't believe that I forgot about them for a year."

"So much as happened Willow," Giles smiled softly from behind the wheel. "We had our own world and problems to look at."

"I wonder if she's still--" Buffy stopped herself. They really didn't have much time to watch the news, so they had no idea what had occurred at Seattle during that fateful day. The day they had their battle with the First, and the day the transgenics had their battle with the military.

Two wars had taken place in two entirely different worlds.

"I'm sure she is," Faith said confidently, although her voice wavered a bit. "Girl was a spitfire. Besides, I doubt Alec would let anything happen to his girl."

Buffy nodded slowly, her mind thinking. "You know, since we're already here and all…maybe we should pay them a little visit?"

Giles smiled. "That would be nice. But we need to finish our mission first, which is to find this unique Slayer that has been glowing blue all over our map."

"The question is though, where do we start looking?" Buffy asked, pulling out the map. The blue dot was firmly stated on Seattle, but _where _in Seattle?

"I'll do a spell on the map later when we get checked into a hotel," Willow offered. "It'll make the map more detailed."

They passed by several hotels before Giles was satisfied. With an exhausted groan, Buffy and Faith pulled out most of the luggage and trudged into the _Skywalk. _A towering five-star hotel that was luxurious beyond their needs. When Buffy had asked Giles about his choice of residence, he merely smiled and said: "There's nothing wrong with seeking a little comfort. Besides, we could use a mini-vacation."

The expenses were nothing to be bothered about. They had enough cash with them, thanks to funds the Watcher's Council had been generous enough to provide.

"Woah, this place is plush." Faith remarked nodding at the marble flooring of the lobby, and glass chandelier hanging from above them. Everywhere they looked, the posh and the loaded were relaxing on sofas and duvets, glittering jewels adorning their designer clothing.

The four new guests looked strangely out of place, dressed simply in jeans and t-shirts. No one gave them a second glance, save for the front desk who eyed them suspiciously. He was a middle-aged man dressed in a crisp white business suit, a Rolex was wrapped delicately around his wrist and greeted them with a disbelieving tone. "Welcome to the Skywalk. How may I help you?"

"Two bedroom suitesplease," Buffy stated.

The man recited the price with a hint of disdain in his voice. Buffy silenced him with a quick flash of cash.

"Here are you're keys," the man gave them two card-keys. "Enjoy you're stay."

"Oh we will," Buffy said and made a beeline for the elevator.

…

Cats always had an attachment to incredibly high places. And Max was no exception, due to her feline DNA, most of her 'thinking spots' were usually high up in the air. Like the Space Needle for instance. That had been her favorite. Unfortunately, crazed lunatics a.k.a the military would kill her before she could even slip by the 'Welcome to Seattle' sign. So she had to improvise.

The Control Center's roof was where he found her minutes after they saw the news broadcast on TV.

"Penny for your thoughts, Maxie." he said in way of greeting, dropping onto the empty space beside her.

"Hey Alec," she said in return, not bothering to look at him. She was staring at the distance – at something he couldn't seem to see.

Night was beginning to fall, and the sky was a picture perfect portrait of reds and pinks cascading on one another in a rainbow of sunsets. A beautiful sight to look at. Almost as beautiful as the woman sitting right next to him. But what he couldn't see was the pain that swirled in her doe-brown eyes, making them appear almost black.

"Do you remember what you said right before we fled TC?" she asked quietly.

Alec smiled bitterly. Of course he did. It was something that had haunted his dreams for a whole year. Something that he knew was beyond the truth. It was reality.

"Our days of living are over, our days of surviving have just begun." Max quoted. This time, she _did _look at him. Her face was combination of emotions. Uneasiness and sadness blending together to form pain. Alec would've given anything in the world to wipe the desolation that stained her usually cheerful features.

Not knowing what to say, Alec wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"You know Alec, sometimes I think that this is all my fault, releasing all of them from Manticore." She whispered, her shoulders trembling. Alec gently held her face up to his, expecting to see tears. But there weren't any. Seeing Max like this hurt him, and hearing those words made him feel pain that he had never felt before.

"_No_, Max." He said firmly. "_This is not your fault. _You gave us freedom, Maxie. Freedom from a hellhole that made us into killers. You gave us _life. _Which is more than we could've asked for."

She looked away. "We don't belong anywhere, Alec. Whether were back at Manticore, or here. We'll never be considered as a person. To Manticore, we're just weapons, tools they used to kill. And to the ordinaries, we're just animals. Animals who were never meant to exist. _We're insults to humanity_, _Alec. _And they'll never stop hunting us."

"All of us would be hunted down one _by one. _Until none of us are left…until not one piece of evidence would be left lying on this earth that proved that we ever existed."

Alec said nothing.

Because he knew that what Max had said was true.

…

Dawn watched as the blood dripped down her arm and onto the floor. Angry cuts decorated her wrists now. And she was already starting to feel dizzy from the loss of blood. But she was oblivious to it, oblivious to everything. She was in her own world now. Trapped within a dome of pain. Emotional pain. The physical pain that she was supposed to feel wasn't there. All she felt was numbness.

Numb to the pain.

Numb to her feelings.

Numb to her wounds.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, as blood simultaneously rolled down her arm.

Quietly she thought: What have I done? 

…

A/N: Angsty ain't it??! Review.


	7. Destiny Calling

A/N: SO sorry for the lack of updates...but anyways...here's the next one, hope you guys enjoy it!!!! This will explain a lot of things...

Chapter Seven: _Destiny Calling_

Their hotel was located in the 'upper town' as what the locals called it. The wealthier part of Seattle, they said. And now, as they drove through mansions and fancy restaurants, they began to exit the 'upper town', and Buffy was surprised to see the state of the city that was _not _part of the 'upper town.'

Most of the buildings that stood at great heights on either sides of the road were more rundown than she would've expected. And most of them were covered in graffiti. Beggars, and homeless people roamed the streets in ragged clothing, flashing toothless smiles as they implored for money. Prostitutes in skimpy dresses sauntered hand in hand with elderly men in Armani suits. Armed cops were crawling everywhere, eyeing everyone with deep suspicion and distrust. Hover drones flew above them, cameras and guns pointing everywhere.

It was a far cry from California, or Cleveland for that matter.

Buffy shook her head in disbelief. "I feel like I've walked into an entirely different world."

"More like a sci-fi movie," Faith piped with a wry grin. "Seems like the Pulse wiped out a lot."

"The Pulse?" Giles questioned. "What's that?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "You don't know anything do you Giles?"

Giles glared at her.

"A few years ago, terrorists whacked Seattle with an electromagnetic pulse. And ka-pow! The former world power became a third world country. It was _all _over the news, Giles. How could you not know?"

"Maybe it was because we were busy stopping another apocalypse," Giles said scowling.

"So where are we heading?" Buffy asked, breaking the argument.

"A well-to-do subdivision across the city," Willow answered. "Another 'upper town', I think."

"How long till we get there?"

"An hour and a half at the most," Giles replied from behind the wheel.

"Or in your case, three hours." Faith snickered. "You drive like a turtle, old man. Maybe you should hand me the wheel."

"I'd rather be alive, thank you." Giles said glaring at her.

Buffy caught Willow's eyes and they both grinned. It was going to be a _long _ride.

But the grin slowly faded when they passed by a devastating sight. Instantaneously, Giles slowed the car down as all eyes turned to the destruction that was –

"Terminal City," Buffy whispered. "Oh my god. What happened here?"

The gigantic lot was covered in debris and burnt remains of what used to be buildings.The smell of blood and rotting flesh floated in the air, giving the atmosphere a sense of foreboding. For a few seconds they watched from their car just outside the decrepit gates of TC, surveying the scene of ruins.

It was empty of any corpses, but they could tell that a bloodbath had gone on in there.

Willow covered her mouth with her hand as tears welled up in her eyes. "This is horrible." She choked out.

Buffy could only nod.

"Oh man," Faith's eyes were wide. And not able to take it anymore, she jumped out of the car and called out to the nearest person there was. A man begging just in front of the entrance gates.

With bated breath, Buffy followed after her sister slayer, with Willow and Giles close behind.

"Excuse me," Faith asked the beggar who appraised her guardedly. "Can you please tell me what had happened here?"

The man smiled mirthlessly. "They bombed the place," he croaked out. "Killed a number of those freaks."

"They're _not _freaks," Buffy snapped.

The man turned to look at her, his eyes narrowing. "You ain't one of them are you now, missy?"

"No she's not." Faith said, her voice laced with unease. "You—you wouldn't know if any of the erm, freaks survived did you?"

"More'n hundred of 'em escaped," the beggar replied cynically. "There whereabouts are unknown, but it won' be long till the army'll find them and finish 'em all off. They don't deserve to live. They killed a number o' good men."

Buffy's hear thudded in her chest. _Maybe their still alive._

"Alright, thank you." Faith tugged at her sleeve. "We'd better be going now."

They headed back to their car but not before they heard the man shout out from behind them.

"Watch out for them freaks! They could snap yer necks and kill you in a nanosecond!"

"So could we," Buffy muttered under her breath.

…

The sky was an expanse of black and silver glitters, and stormy gray clouds floated soundlessly through it, blanketing the stars every now and then. Night had fallen, and darkness had covered the military base.

Not a problem for two genetically-enhanced supersoldiers though. Their night vision kicked in the moment the sun disappeared, and they easily climbed down the roof without much difficulty. Their feet hit the ground with an inaudible thud, and both transgenics strolled towards the Mess Hall in corresponding strides.

Max pushed open the swinging doors to find the room already full of hungry transgenics. Most of them were already halfway through their dinner. This was when an idea struck her.

"When was the last time these kids had proper training?" Max asked as she and Alec took a seat in an empty table near the back of the room.

Alec frowned. "Since Manticore, I guess. We didn't really do anything back at TC."

"Well, I think we should start training them again." Max said, helping herself to some dinner. "We need to be prepared – in case something happens."

"You mean, if another genocide happens." Alec clarified.

Max nodded. "The X5s are the most experienced in the field. We could assign two X5s to a group of X6s and X8s. Get my drift? Same thing with the transhumans…although I have a feeling it'll be hard convincing them to learn some fancy martial arts."

Alec grimaced. "I couldn't imagine Mole doing the karate stuff."

Max laughed. "Mole's more of an ammunitions guy. But it would be better if everyone knew how to defend themselves. Especially since we're running low on weaponry."

"Right." Alec agreed. "We could hold all the training in Barracks' twelve and thirteen. Nobody's using those…"

"Good idea. We'll inform everyone right after dinner, alright?"

"Yes you're majesty!"

"DON'T call me that!"

….

"Are you sure this is it?" Buffy asked, a bit nervously as they climbed out of the car. They had arrived at their destination a lot faster than Faith's predicament, and they were now gaping at the rather large mansion that stood in front of them. It was beautiful if not daunting.

It was somewhat of a glass house, standing on top of a small grassy hill, and a neatly-trimmed lawn was spread in front of it, adorned by a few pieces of shrubbery. In the center of the lawn was a fountain. Crystal clear water was spurting from the tip of the marble fountain, and it made a slight _wooshing _sound.

A black iron gate rose up in front of them, and around the lot was an iron fence topped off with concertina wires.

"Does 'Adams family' come to your mind?" Faith asked lightly, cocking an eyebrow.

"A more modern one maybe," Willow said staring at the concertina wires. "Why do I have a feeling that if I'm gonna touch that fence I'm gonna be electrocuted?"

"Because that's what's probably gonna happen," Buffy said pulling the witch away from the fence. "Giles, ring the doorbell will you?"

Giles did as told, and an electronic voice greeted them robotically. "Good. Evening. Please. State. Your. Name. And. The. Person. You. Wish. To. Speak. To."

"Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenburg, Faith Wilkins, and Rupert Giles." Buffy cast a panicked look at the others.

"Uh, we would like to speak to the daughter, please." Giles continued for her, wiping his glasses nervously.

"Right. This. Way. Please." The voice said, and the gate swung open.

Buffy exchanged an anxious glance with Faith before striding in. The others at her heels.

…

Lucas bounded down the stairs, her heart thudding in her chest. The intercom had just informed her that there were some visitors wanting to speak with her. She could only hope that they weren't Phalanx. She reached the front doors in record time, and with a deep breath, she peered out the glass window to see four strangers walking up the stone pathway. Their foreheads were bare of the Phalanx' symbols.

She frowned. _If those aren't Phalanx, then who the hell are they?_

Smoothing back her raven-black hair, she slowly opened the doors. It was only a good thing that her parents had left a few minutes ago. They had a dinner party to attend to.

The four strangers drew closer, and Lucas stiffened. _They could be dangerous. _She thought, taking an involuntary step backwards. _Yeah right, you're a Phalanx, _and _a Slayer. I could handle them. No sweat._

Her guests were now within five feet from her.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

And that was when she knew who they were.

…

Buffy stared at the girl standing on the front porch. She couldn't help it, she just – _stared. _There was something about her…and it wasn't the distinctive color of her eyes _or _the strange tattoo on her forehead. It was the aura that she gave off. A powerful aura that Buffy had never sensed before from any of the Slayers.

Giles was shooting her a look.

"Uh, right." Buffy held out her hand and smiled brightly. "I'm Buffy Summers, this is Rupert Giles, Faith Wilkins, and Willow Rosenberg."

The girl met her gaze, and that was when Buffy saw how truly unique her eyes were. They were _silver. _And they seemed to penetrate right through her head. Buffy shifted uncomfortably. "We would like to tell you something."

The girl smiled politely. "I already know."

_This _startled everyone.

She shook Buffy's hand. "My name's Lucas Domane. You must be the eldest living Slayer."

Buffy just gaped.

Giles cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, we would like to discuss this inside."

"No problem. Come in."

…

Once they were all seated, silence grew. Lucas raised an eyebrow as she leaned comfortably on the sofa, waiting for them to speak. Physically, she was a perfect picture of coolness and relaxation. But inside, she was writhing in panic and apprehension.

And she did _not _like the way the redhead was looking at her.

"When did you find out?" Buffy asked, her pretty face scrunching up in curiosity.

Lucas took a peek at the clock hanging just behind her. If her parents caught her 'guests' here…she didn't even dare think about what they'd do to them. "A few weeks ago I started having these – dreams. And one night, I just – knew."

Buffy nodded. "That's how it usually is. You see, Slayers have prophetic dreams. Their dreams sometimes foresee the future."

Lucas thought back on her nightmare involving the _Maistre. _That means she _will _find out in the future. She shuddered inwardly, as she tried to keep her emotions intact. "So are you going to take me away now?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit.

"Well, we'd have to talk to you're parents first…" Giles started, but was cut off by herself jumping out of her seat and yelping out a strangled "_No!"_

She started to pace. "You _can't _tell them." She raised panicked eyes to Buffy. "You don't know what they'll do to me if they find out that I'm a Slayer."

"Hey, hey, calm down, girl." Faith said, standing up and steadying her. "What will they do to you?"

Lucas sucked in her breath. "They'll kill me."

…

"Wha-what?" Buffy asked, beyond alarmed now. She was completely shocked.

Tears were now streaming down Lucas' face as she struggled to compose herself. Unable to do so, she shook her head, dropping down onto the couch in a helpless heap.

Willow who had been silent during the whole conversation suddenly spoke up. Her voice laced with realization. "You're a Phalanx."

"Say what now?" Faith asked, utterly confused.

For a moment, Lucas stopped crying. She simply stared at Willow in bewilderment. "How-how did you know?"

"Well, for one thing. You have that tattoo on your forehead," Willow said pointing at the crescent moon imprinted on her pale forehead. "That's the Phalanx' symbol. And they despise Slayers as well. Probably the reason on why they'll kill you if they find out. The Phalanx always had an obsession with purity in their family."

At her friends' puzzled faces, she explained. "The Phalanx is an ancient breeding cult deeply rooted in the ancient magic which is the Dark Arts – black magic. They usually perform sacred rites and ceremonies on lunar months. That's why their symbol is the moon…"

"Pardon me for saying this," Buffy said to Lucas. "So they're pretty much evil?"

"Pretty much," Willow nodded. "But the last time I checked, the Phalanx were dead. Caput. Faded through the centuries." She eyed Lucas. "But I guess their still active…after all these years…they're still alive."

"How do you know about all this?" Lucas asked warily. "And if I _am _evil, then how the hell did I become Chosen?"

"Ancient books," Willow said dismissively. "I'm a Wicca. I know a lot about this kind of stuff."

"And the reason on why you're Chosen was because, underneath all that 'evil magic' exterior, you've got a good heart." Buffy said with a soft smile. "The Powers that Be are never wrong on whom to Choose."

"But my blood is pure," Lucas choked out through her tears. "I am _not tainted!"_

Buffy exchanged a glance with Willow. _Man, this is hard. _She thought, and tried again. "Of course your not…you just have a…bigger heart than your peers."

"_I_ _don't want to be a Slayer_!" Lucas shouted, angry tears cascading down her very pale face. "I'm a Phalanx, and I will always be one!"

Faith laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Look, I know it's hard…"

Lucas swiveled sharply to face her. "You don't _know anything._" She bit out savagely. "Not only will I be rejected and disowned by my own family… I will be _humiliated, tortured…and sacrificed. _Do you really know anything, _Faith?_"

Faith's eyes darkened, and the gentleness was gone from her voice. "_I've killed humans,_ Lucas. I know how it feels to be rejected. To be labeled as 'the _bad _Slayer' hurt more than all the days I spent in prison…"

Lucas laughed. A cold, mirthless laugh that Buffy hadn't heard coming from a sixteen year old. Her silver eyes flashed. "_I've killed too. And I earned everyone's trust. _My family's ways is different from yours."

"But did you _like _killing someone?" Buffy asked quietly. "Did you think that killing someone is the right thing?"

Lucas looked away.

"See, you _have _a good heart." Buffy said, taking a step towards her, and choosing her words carefully. "It doesn't matter where were from, or how blue your blood is. You can never deny your destiny."

"It doesn't matter," Lucas said. "The Phalanx will still kill me."

"We have a hundred Slayers back at Cleveland," Buffy said with a proud smile. "That's almost an army, Lucas. You have an army of Slayers to protect you."

"So what do you say? Are you ready to answer your Calling?"

Lucas shut her eyes, and opened them. The darkness was gone. "I am."

"Atta girl," Faith said grinning.

Lucas drew in a shuddering breath. "Just—just not now…I need to find out something first…"

Buffy looked at her curiously.

"Come back tomorrow afternoon. They'll be gone by then. That's when I'll – come with you."

A/N: Two more chapters and the gang will meet with the Dark Angel crew! So be patient and review!!!

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